The Carlos Acosta Collection (Box Set)

Carlos Acosta (Colas (Fille); Romeo (Romeo & Juliet); Basillo (Quixote)); Marianela Nuñez (Lise (Fille); Kitri (Don Quixote)); Tamara Rojo (Juliet (Romeo & Juliet)); Thiago Soares (Tybalt (Romeo & Juliet)); William Tuckett (Widow Simone (Fille)); José Martín (Mercutio (Romeo & Juliet)); Christopher Saunders (Don Quixote (Quixote)); Philip Mosely (Sancho Panza (Quixote)); Jonathan Howells (Alain (Fille)); Yohei Sasaki (Benvolio (Romeo & Juliet)); David Pickering (Paris (Romeo & Juliet)); Ryoichi Hirano (Espada (Quixote));

So memorably described as ‘a dancer who slashes across space faster than anyone else, who lacerates the air with shapes so clear and sharp they seem to throw off sparks’ (Independent), Carlos Acosta has been at the forefront of contemporary ballet since his arrival at the Royal Ballet in 1998. Here he sparkles in three of his most celebrated roles: the young lover Colas in the joyfully bucolic La Fille mal gardée, which received five stars from the Guardian, Times and Mail on Sunday; the innocent but doomed Romeo in Prokofiev’s sumptuously-scored adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous play; and, acting as producer and choreographer for the first time, as Basilio in Don Quixote, a production that wowed audiences thanks to its ‘intelligent’ choreography and Acosta’s ‘titanic determination, bullet-proof charisma [and] delectably trusting and playful rapport’ with co-star Marianela Núñez (Daily Telegraph). These three compelling ballets showcase Carlos Acosta’s world class reputation as a dancer and choreographer, bolstered by outstanding co-stars and artists of the Royal Ballet.

HÉROLD: LA FILLE MAL GARDÉE (2005)

Lise - Marianela Nunez

Colas - Carlos Acosta

Widow Simone - William Tuckett

Alain - Jonathan Howells

The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Choreography - Frederick Ashton

Music - Ferdinand Hérold

Conductor - Anthony Twiner

PROKOFIEV: ROMEO AND JULIET (2007)

Juliet - Tamara Rojo

Romeo - Carlos Acosta

Mercutio - José Martín

Tybalt - Thiago Soares

Royal Ballet Sinfonia

Choreography - Kenneth Macmillan

Music - Sergey Prokofiev

Conductor - Boris Gruzin

MINKUS: DON QUIXOTE (2013)

Kitri - Marianela Nuñez

Basilio - Carlos Acosta

Don Quixote - Christopher Saunders

Orchestra of The Royal Opera House

Choreography - Carlos Acosta after Marius Petipa

Music - Ludwig Minkus

Conductor - Martin Yates

Reviews

"The Royal Ballet’s present revival makes much of its vigorous characters, its brilliantly virtuosic solos and duets...[Marianela Nuñez] gives the swift, intricate footwork as gorgeously as I have ever seen it...Nunez is an excellent match for Carlos Acosta’s whizzing solos and his cheerful eagerness as her admirer Colas..Altogether, a terrific show" (The Stage - La fille mal gardée)

"... a jovial and entertaining showcase for classical dancing at its most demanding and exuberant. One of the pleasures of this ballet is to be tickled by Minkus's infectiously melodious score... Marianela Nuñez and Acosta delivered sparky, engaging performances." (The Times - Don Quixote)

"…excellent sound and picture quality. Nicholas Geogiadis's designs, dating from 1965, are still gorgeously redolent of Renaissance Verona, and the big scenes of street life and the Capulet ball are magnificent spectacles. One of today's dream partnerships, Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta, prove more than a match for their distinguished predecessors. ...Rojo rises to the fierce dramatic challenges of the last act with electrifying intensity. ...and Prokofiev's score is vigorously conducted by Boris Gruzin." (Grampohone - Romeo and Juliet)